One Giant Leap Backward

[unclejimbo]

Bush calls for Spacecraft to Replace Shuttles for planned mission to Mars

The Moron wants to go and build Apollo type space capsules for the job instead of developing something that would be reusable. Plus, we don't have any rockets capable of launching an Apollo type vehicle any more. We quit building Saturn V rockets in 1972.

BLAHRGH!!!

Comments

[caitlin.livejournal.com]

O.o

He wants to do WHAT?!

*rolls eyes*

He really IS an idiot...

C.

[exedore.livejournal.com]

...

Admittedly I'm not a physicist, but WTF?! There has to be some form of reuseable craft design for getting people there (and more importantly getting them back!). And how many of the Apollo type craft had some serious problems? There was the one with the fire, 13 was fucked up IIRC (if I remember the movie correctly...), etc. We only had two shuttle accidents, albeit nasty fatal hellfire ones...

[yakusai.livejournal.com]

If they can launch a shuttle, wouldn't it stand to reason they can launch an Apollo type capsule?

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

Not without a big enough rocket.

[yakusai.livejournal.com]

But my point is, if we can lauch a shuttle with the rocket's we've got, which is bigger than the apollo capsul thing, then wouldn't it stand to reason that those same rocket's could launch an apollo type capsul?

I agree that Bush's plan is antiquated.

[unclejimbo.livejournal.com]

The rockets for the shuttle are part of the orbiter. The
Russians saw the limitations of that design and made their orbiter to be 'strapped on' to their Energia booster. (A Saturn V caliber rocket!)

Right now, we have no rockets larger than the Titan 4 booster. Even that one is insufficient to lift an Apollo type vehicle with a service module.

His idea of doing it by 2015 is actually realistic if he really plans on following though. But still, a space plane for near Earth activities seems to be a logical part of any long term space effort.